A Change of Heart - (Zoroark and Lucario)
by zorkbork
Summary: While on the hunt, a Zoroark named June is ready to prey on an unsuspecting Lucario named Luke. While she takes him down, she can't bring herself to finish the job because of her own traumatic experience losing a loved one as a Zorua. To help cope with the lingering pain of losing a friend, Zoroark helps the Lucario recover, but not before other bonds grow between the two.
1. Chapter 1 - The Battle

**Howdy everyone, it's Zork here**

 **Well, this is my first time doing anything like this, and I hope that y'all enjoy it**

 **I'm totally open to any critique/commends you guys may have while reading, and I promise in the near future there'll be more parts.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy and happy reading!**

 **-Zork**

It was a cool autumn evening, and a male Lucario was lazily making his way through the forest, lost in his thoughts. Unbeknownst to him, just meters above his head a fatigued and hungry female Zoroark was perched, searching the forested landscape for food. As her eyes scanned the green landscape, her gaze eventually fell on the Lucario below.

 _He's a bit slender, but he'll suffice_ the Zoroark thought to herself with a devilish smile. Despite the Lucario's typing advantage, the Zoroark was confident an unexpected attack would momentarily stun the unsuspecting Lucario below, opening a brief window for her to take him down.

With her plan set, the Zoroark swiftly sprang from the tree while bearing her fangs and spreading her claws wide as she descended on the Lucario. Just before making contact, the Lucario's head darted upward to see the Zoroark quickly approaching, and instantly jumped back to stay out of reach from the Zoroark. Although the Lucario avoided a direct hit, he still was subject to a less direct swipe of the Zoroark's claws to his side. Now mere meters apart from his foe, the Lucario began charging an Aura Sphere in retaliation against his attacker.

 _That's not what I was expecting_ the Zoroark thought to herself

The two Pokémon stood opposite each other, their eyes locked in contact. Zoroark assumed a position on all fours, ready to spring forward and charge at any moment while the Lucario maintained an upright position, holding the Aura Sphere to his side ready to attack. Despite the Zoroark's aggression, she knew not to underestimate how much Lucario's attack would be magnified because of his typing advantage. If she wanted to defeat her opponent, she would have to outsmart her opponent in a more unconventional way since because of her attacks weakened effects.

"Why are you doing this?" The Lucario angrily grunted through his gritted teeth; his Aura Sphere emitting a brilliant blue light behind him. Following the question, he let out a deep snarl that seemed to linger in the autumn air.

"Because you're my dinner" the Zoroark replied in a mischievous tone with a smug grin widening across her face. The mere thought of being called a meal sent shivers down the Lucario's spine. As the Zoroark continued, she bore her sharp fangs and let out a hiss. "And there's nothing you can do about it"

In response the Lucario thrusted his fully charged Aura Sphere toward the Zoroark with a grunt; the unexpected attack's magnified impact sending her a stumbling a few steps back.

"Well played you tricky little Lucario, but can you survive this?"

She then disappeared behind a small wisp of smoke and the Lucario frantically searched around him, in a vain attempt to pinpoint the location of the now hidden Zoroark. After a quick visual scan of the battlefield returned unfruitful, he scanned the surrounding aura, hoping to latch on to the aura radiating from the Zoroark as it hid. At first, his scans returned all the same, until he heard a sudden rustling in the trees above. His eyes darted upward just in time to see the Zoroark leap from the tree to pounce on him once again, this time her claws making direct contact into his shoulders. He let out a short welp as his knees buckled beneath him; the significant weight of the Zoroark's body now pinning him to the ground. He squirmed, trying to free himself from underneath the Zoroark, but the Zoroark gripped tightly into his shoulders; her claws poking through his ruffled blue fur. Assuming control over the pinned-down Lucario, the Zoroark repositioned herself so that her knees would be on top of the Lucario's hips, ultimately hindering any of the potential chances the Lucario had of freeing himself.

"That was easy" the Zoroark chuckled as she raised a paw with the intent to strike the Lucario's head. All he could respond with was a look of fear on his face, as he anticipated for the Zoroark to attack. "You sure are going to be one tasty treat"

She then swung down her paw, striking the Lucario directly in the head. His body immediately went limp under her as he entered a state of unconsciousness from the brute force. Although he was unresponsive, the Zoroark could still easily tell that the Lucario was breathing. With a smug grin on her face and a strong feeling of pride, the Zoroark prepared to seal her competition's fate as she brought one of her claws to the idle Lucario's neck. She was starving; anxiously awaiting her feast, but despite going ages since her last meal, her appetite quickly dwindled when she took a close look at the Lucario she triumphed over.

The Lucario that was underneath her was on the young side for a Lucario; perhaps in his late adolescence, much like herself. The Zoroark paused for a moment with questions rapidly shooting through her mind. What if it had been her in the Lucario's place? Would she have wanted to have her life end like this? At the paws of a starving Pokémon? These questions weighed heavily on her mind, leading her sulking in shame and withdrawing her claw from the Lucario's throat. While she wished it was easy just to say that the Pokémon beneath her was just food, there was a constant voice in her head telling her spare the poor Lucario's life. She glanced up again and examined the Lucario's bruised and battered face. _He's quite handsome actually. Even when he's all beat up…_ She thought to herself. Immediately she shook this thought from her head, as she quickly became furious with herself for even considering to spare the Lucario's life.

 _How dare you call him handsome_ she scolded herself. _Food is food and that's it!_

She once again pressed her claw up against the Lucario's throat, this time with much more pressure, but before she could do anything further a faint mumble of confusion came from the Lucario as he slowly came to. His eyelids drifted apart and he was immediately exposed to the sight of the Zoroark retaining her firm position on top of him, pinning him to the ground. He knew that he was completely under her control no matter how hard he struggled, and that nothing more could be done for him. He gave up trying to save himself.

"Just do it already…" he whimpered, holding back tears. "What are you waiting for? It's not like I can escape…"

A shocked, confused look came across the Zoroark's face as she took a deep breath. It was one thing for her to kill her prey when they were unconscious and wouldn't feel a thing, but it was so much more difficult when they were awake. The Lucario then gulped and closed his eyes as he slowly tilted his head back, exposing his neck further for the Zoroark. Soon after, a small trail of tears escaped his tightly closed eyes and trickled down his blue fur as he waited for the victorious Zoroark to end his life with a swift slice to the neck. The Zoroark took another deep breath before sighing and letting her paw drop to her side; a defeated expression coming across her face.

 _Oh Arceus why can't I do this?_ she thought to herself.

The Lucario slowly opened one eye in shock as he felt her claw drop away. He saw her head slouch down followed by something he never expected her to do: she began to cry. She raised her paws to cover her eyes and then began bawling, still kneeling on top the Lucario. The Zoroark was flooded with horrid and traumatic memories about the time when she saw her own best friend stricken down at the hands of another Pokémon. _Surely he's got a mate… With his looks he's got to… She would be crushed if he never returned home_ the Zoroark thought to herself, knowing how much her decision could impact the lives of others. She knew what it was like to lose a loved one, and couldn't stand the idea of putting another Pokémon through the traumatic experience she went through as a Zorua.

All the crushed Lucario could do was lay and watch as his captor broke down in remorse. He still knew, however, that he wasn't out of trouble yet, and it was only a matter of time before the Zoroark would recollect herself and turn him into a meal. Defeated, he gave up on his hopes of escape despite the Zoroark's unsteady emotions and did all he could to calm his racing mind.

After several minutes of reminiscing, the Zoroark finally got up from on top of the Lucario, much to his surprise. By now, most of her crying had subdued, and she sniffled as she turned away from the battered Lucario still laying on the ground. Shocked at the sudden change of fortune, the Lucario quickly tried to flee, before ultimately collapsing back into the ground a half stride later. The weight of the Zoroark falling on him from the tree above was enough to break his left leg, and he couldn't even put a little bit of pressure on it without completely tipping over.

Still sulking in the shame of her actions, the Zoroark slowly began walking away, her back turned to the immobile Lucario. Her own emotional trauma left her oblivious to how injured the Lucario was, and as she walked away the Lucario continued to lay on the ground where he was attacked.

 _I may've survived that Zoroark, but it's only a matter of time before some other Pokémon comes and scoops me up_ The Lucario thought to himself. All he could do is hopelessly lay where he was attacked before falling into a deep sleep to subdue the pain of his broken leg.

As the Lucario woke, he began to take in his surroundings expecting to be in the same location where he fell asleep, but to him everything looked sideways. He tensed up as he realized the very same Zoroark that attacked him earlier now had him arched across her shoulders, taking him to Arceus-knows-where. Instinctively out of fear, he squirmed, shaking loose from the Zoroark's rather relaxed grip around his body.

After falling on the ground and letting out a small whimper from the pain of his broken leg, the Zoroark stopped and turned around.

"L-look", the Lucario said, stuttering in fear as the Zoroark towered over him. "I-if you're just gonna kill me c-can you just d-do it now please?" As he said this, his head slumped down, expecting the Zoroark to finish him.

The Zoroark replied with only an unimpressed expression, and reached a paw back into her black-and-red mane. Withdrawing it, her hand was clenched around a small bar of chocolate. She tossed it at the Lucario.

"Eat" she commanded

In shock, the Lucario did as he was told, never breaking eye contact with the Zoroark as she looked disapprovingly over him with her arms crossed across her chest.

"Why are you doing this?" The Lucario asked puzzled, unsure as to why the Zoroark that moments ago tried to eat him was now taking care of him.

"Walk" She responded bluntly, retaining her monotone voice and unimpressed expression,

The Lucario hoisted himself up with his paws onto his one good leg, placing the other one loosely on the ground without applying pressure. He took one step forward, determined to show that he was capable of such a trivial task, but ultimately collapsed onto his knees the second he applied any pressure onto his broken leg.

"You need me" the Zoroark remarked as she swiftly picked him up and laid him across her shoulders once again. "Now get some sleep. You're far to weak to be wasting extra energy".

He attempted to do as he was told, but the many questions dashing through the very confused Lucairo's mind prevented the him from sleeping. He didn't know where they were going, or where they had been. Still unconvinced the Zoroark had his best interests in mind, all he could focus on was surviving minute-by-minute knowing he very soon could meet his doom. At least Zoroark could offer a quick, painless death when the time came with a quick slash across the throat or a strong blow to the skull, whereas if he was abandoned in the forest, the Lucario could be faced with fates millions of times worse. He couldn't figure out why the Zoroark was keeping him alive for so long, and he most certainly felt like his future was bleak. Giving into the hopelessness, the Lucario relaxed all his muscles as the Zoroark carried him and fell into a light sleep.

 **Well, that's the first chapter! I think I have an idea as to where I'm going to take this, and I look forward to releasing new parts in the future  
** **Stay tuned as we learn more about our Zoroark and Lucario!**

 **-Zork**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Cave

**Howdy everyone! It's Zork again, and this time I'm back with anther chapter!**

 **Last time we left of with our Zoroark walking away with Lucario draped over her shoulders...**

 **What does she have in store for him? Let's find out!**

 **-Zork**

As the Lucario awoke, he found himself deep inside a cave, slouched up against the cavern's cool stone wall. In front of him was a small fire, fueled by a small collection of thin logs that were roughly cut by what looked like razor-sharp claws

As the Lucario's eyes adjusted to the dim light of the cave, he was overwhelmed by a feeling that another being was nearby. As he looked around, he saw no other Pokémon in the cave, until a shadowy figure entered the cave's mouth

 _Welp, this is it. I'm gonna die. I'm lost. I've got no food. I got a broken leg… I'm totally gonna die_ the Lucario panicked as the figure made its way closer to where he sat. Eventually, the black blur stepped close enough to the fire so that Lucario was able to make out some of the finer details of the shadow that was approaching. _Gray fur… Big hair floof… Oh Arceus, it's that Zoroark again…_ _At what's that she's carrying? Are those… berries?_

The Zoroark now stood directly across the fire from the Lucario as she clutched an assortment of berries close to her chest. She placed them down on the ground in front of her and began speaking to the Lucario, who gazed at her in awe.

"I don't believe we've been properly acquainted" the Zoroark began, sounding more sympathetic than before. "My name is June. How are you?"

The Lucario, taken aback by June's friendly introduction struggled to reply, stuttering a good bit before finally stringing together a sentence.

"U-uh… I'm good, thanks… M-my name is Luke. How are you doing?"

In reply June gave Luke a quick nod, before approaching him with the berries.

"You look like you could use some of these"

June handed over Luke a number of berries before taking a seat across the fire from him. Luke was puzzled as to why the very same Pokémon that tried to eat him just hours earlier was now nursing him and his broken leg. "Yeah… that'd be great" the Lucario replied, still trying to piece together how exactly he ended up in the cave. "If you don't mind me asking, where exactly are we? And exactly why am _I_ here?" he asked.

"Without me you'd certainly be dead already" June replied sharply, but the tension was short lived as her expression quickly softened as she became nervous and began to blush out of embarrassment. "Well…" she began, anxiously looking to the side as a paw reached for the back of her head. "you see… I was going to kill you. But I didn't". Her gaze slowly turned back toward Luke, unsure as to what his reaction to the blunt answer would be. Luke wasn't surprised by her answer in the slightest, recalling the events that happened prior.

"And why haven't you done it yet?" Luke somberly asked, reminding himself that with his broken leg, he was at the mere mercy of the Zoroark's will.

"Well that's a long story and maybe we shouldn't get into that right now…" June's voice trailed off. She then went silent and Luke could tell that something was weighing heavily on her mind. He also looked closely at the Zoroark that sat across the fire from him.

 _She's kinda cute_ Luke thought to himself. _Is it bad that I think that after she tried to kill me? Does she still want to kill me?_

"I'm really curious as to why" Luke urged, still nervous that there was the possibility of him being attacked again in the near future. He felt like he deserved to know because after all, he was almost slaughtered. "That is if you don't mind me asking" he tacked on, doing his best to sound courteous as to not upset his seemingly fragile caretaker.

June positioned her paws on the ground on either side of her, letting out a sigh as her head slouched down; much like she did when she was positioned over Luke in the woods. "Well, it's because I've been in the position you're in before… or at least the position your mate would have been in".

"What do you mean 'the position my mate would be in?'" he replied, confused as to why she expected him to have a mate.

"Well, I know first hand what it's like to lose a loved one in such a ruthless and sudden way" she began, "and it would kill me to inflict that same pain and trauma onto your mate… I mean I'm sure you have one, right?"

The response perplexed Luke, but he was more confused as to why June was so fixated on him potentially having a mate, or why that mattered. He debated telling her that he was alone, but believed that such a move would most certainly lead for the Zoroark to remorselessly use him as food since his 'mate's' interests were seemingly first in her mind. Before he could say respond to the Zoroark's question, she continued on with her story.

"Back when I was a Zorua, I was mostly on my own. I never really had parents to support me growing up, and the only person who would accept me for the little runt that I was was my best friend Jette. Much like myself, she too was a Zorua runt; spurned by her parents. We were on our own, having to forage for food and survival with merely our illusions"

Just hearing the prelude to June's difficult upbringing was enough to soften Luke's heart, as he listened intently.

"We were close as close could be – essentially sisters. We burrowed together, hunted together, played together… we were going to be best friends for life…"

As the story continued, June's voice progressively became fueled with more and more emotion, with tears beginning to escape her eyes and drip onto her gray fur below. Luke could tell that her story was about to take a dark turn, but nothing could have prepared him for the bombshell she was about to drop

"…Nothing could separate us. Ever..." She said between light sobs "…until one day when she and I were out looking for berries. She wandered off on her own to explore a grove we hadn't seen before, seemingly rich with so many different berries. I looked around to see where she went off to, and all I saw was a Zoroark bolting by, quickly whisking her away by her neck. As he ran by, the grove she was supposed to be exploring disappeared; it was an illusion. We were still too weak to detect the illusions of a fully evolved Zoroark and we had a price to pay…"

By this point, full tears began streaming out of June's eyes. She had to pause from telling the story as she mournfully wept into her paws.

"I-I'm so sorry… I didn't know… That's just awful" Luke sympathetically responded, still trying to piece together how his supposed mate fit into the story.

Through her sobs, June continued her recount of the traumatic loss of her best friend

"Something inside of me died that day. Jeete was the only person that loved me and now she's gone. I'm still haunted by what I heard that day…"

By now her sobs had turned into an uncontrollable bawl, leading her to gasp for breaths between her jagged cries for Jeete. Her story touched Luke, and despite the poor first encounter between the two, Luke felt compelled to comfort the depressed Zoroark in any way he could. He balanced himself on his one good leg and carefully hopped to the opposite side of the fire so he could sit next to June.

"June… I'm so sorry" he softly said as he lightly patted her on the back

His empathy was a warm welcome for June, and she slowly began regaining control over her tears

"It's just… I couldn't ever make myself put someone else in that situation ever" she said with her head still in her tear-soaked paws. "I couldn't ever put your mate in the same situation I was in"

Instinctively, Luke replied with "It's okay. I don't ha-" but he cut himself off before he could finish his sentence. He wasn't ready for June to know he didn't have a mate because if she knew, then she could guiltlessly kill him and turn him into an easy victim.

Much to Luke's relief, June seemed to ignore Luke's fragmented statement; it being drowned out by June's sniffling. She continued to elaborate on her reasoning for sparing the Lucario's life.

"And me killing you isn't what Jeete would've wanted. She was always so kind, and so compassionate. She wouldn't hurt a Caterpie. We'd always eat berries – we never preyed on other Pokémon. I know other Zoroark kill all the time, and I thought it was time for me to move on so they'd accept me as one of their own, but I can't. I just can't".

Luke finally began to understand how the conflict going on in June's head. She wanted to be like the other Zoroark but also to stay true to Jeete and her tranquil demeanor. He had no clue what to say, but felt it was his responsibility to cheer her up. Taking a deep breath, he knew what he had to do. Despite June's compelling story about her friendship with Jeete, Luke was still convinced that despite her heart-wrenching story, June would suddenly turn against him at a moments notice. Depressed and defeated, Luke decided it was better to just get his death over with so at the very least the Zoroark would feel uplifted.

"You know, after all that… I've never had a mate. You'd be fine just to kill me now. I mean, my leg's broken. What more have I got to live for. I'll certainly be taken down by another Pokémon before it heals enough"

For Luke, those words seemed to linger in the air forever. _Why did I say that to her? Is she playing tricks on me? Maybe I'm already dead?_ He anxiously awaited her response, half expecting her to spring up from her depressed state and quickly feast upon him. What she replied with was not what Luke was expecting to hear in the slightest.

"How?" she asked through lightened sobs; her head turning from her paws toward Luke. "How don't you have a mate?"

"What do you mean how? I mean look at me. I'm weak and slow and all that. I mean think about how easy you took me down. Why would any self-respecting Pokémon want to be with _me?_ "

There was a pause as the two assessed the validity in Luke's response.

"I don't know I guess I just thought you did. You seem like the type of Lucario that would"

Luke wasn't sure what it was at this moment in particular, but as the two exchanged glances, he realized how truly adorable the Zoroark sitting next to him was. _She's probably playing a trick on you_ Luke thought to himself. _She wants you to feel bad for her… and rightfully so_. Though the Lucario had a valid concern of June messing with his mind, he couldn't be further from the truth. It was her story that forced Luke to look at her in a different way; both figuratively and literally. As she slumped over, lost in her feelings, Luke began to notice the elegant physical features of her being. Her thick, gray fur was perfectly complimented by a blend of black and red hairs trailing behind her. Her petite, slim figure a beautiful change from the bulky, awkwardly-shaped rock formations that surrounded her. But what Luke noticed the most was her eyes; a brilliant shade of light blue to contrast her otherwise dark fur.

"I-Is something wrong" June asked, causing for Luke to quickly snap out of his daydream. Fearing something about her appearance was off she quickly patted down her mane, figuring Luke was fixating on some rogue hairs standing on end.

"Uh, no. There's no problem… Just, uh, thinking about my leg and how much it hurts" he replied, desperate for any excuse to explain his prolongated stare.

"Well if it's still bothering you maybe you should go back to resting then. It's doing you no good to stay up and chit chat when you could be sleeping"

June got down onto a knee and helped Luke crawl gingerly to the wall, leaning his back against the wall so he could rest in an upright position. Before she stood herself upright, she grazed a paw over Luke's forehead, taking a close look at his eyes, droopy with fatigue.

"Let me know if you need anything" June softly spoke

"Alright" Luke mumbled, already beginning to doze off as he was overwhelmed with a sudden feeling of drowsiness. As he drifted asleep, June momentarily stood watch, ensuring his comfort before making her way to the opposite side of the cave and laying down to rest herself. As the fire in between the two began to die out, the two softly fell asleep, feeling like they had taken the first steps in establishing a new friendship.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Forest

**Hey everyone! This chapter will be a bit shorter since I've been busy prepping for the hurricane coming our way :/**

 **You guys really seem to be enjoying the story so far, so here's another part for you guys. I hope you enjoy, and be sure to let me know your thoughts below!**

 **-Zork**

When Luke awoke, it was the early morning; the sun barely seeping into the deep realm of the cave where he and June were resting. He glanced to the other side of the cave, where he saw the fire from the night prior now extinguished with only a small pile of charred wood remaining. Behind that laid a curled-up June, her head resting on the back of her paws with her tail pulled close.

 _Oh Arceus,_ Luke thought to himself as he watched June resting against the wall. _She's cute when she's sleeping_. With each deep breath she took her chest rose and fell a little, the soft sounds of her breaths radiating through the otherwise silent cave.

He quickly shook the thought from his head, reminding himself that the sleeping Zoroark still had the potential to be a threat to his own survival. _I should really go out and clean myself_ , Luke thought to himself as he popped a berry from the night before into his mouth. Gingerly, he lifted himself onto his one good leg, a paw resting against the wall for balance as he hobbled along, keeping as much pressure as possible off his healing leg.

As he neared the cave's exit, he glanced back at June as she continued resting alongside the wall. Although he knew June would most certainly advise against him going out into the forest with his injury, he turned around a continued slowly making his way towards the sunny day that waited outside. As he neared the exit, his shadow swept across June as he progressed closer to the cave's mouth, which resulted in June awakening with a groggy moan.

"G-Good morning Luke" she groaned, half awake as he she turned towards him. He swung his head around in surprise, not expecting to hear June's voice as just moments ago she was still sleeping. She was still laying in her curled-up position on the ground.

"Uh, hey" he replied, slightly wincing as he applied just a bit too much pressure on his injured leg.

"Now what's a furball like you doing up so early?" she snickered, rising up from her resting position.

"Um… I was just going out to wash up. I'm sure there's a lake or a river nearby somewhere" he replied, expecting June to protest him leaving the cave. The two exchanged looks for a short while, until June interrupted the silence.

"Well go ahead," she began. "It's not like I'm stopping you and its pretty obvious you want to go. Just be careful"

Once again June's behavior deviated greatly from what Luke was expecting to hear. While the night prior, June most certainly would've blocked any notion of Luke going out on his own, her control over his actions certainly lightened up overnight.

"Okay" Luke responded, as he turned away towards the bright daylight. He slowly hobbled out of the cave, as June closely watched from where the two slept the night before. June saw Luke vanish into the bright whiteness of the outdoors as her eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the brilliant sunlight that was now pouring into the cave, and as soon as he exited her field of vision June sat down, slouching against the wall as she worried about Luke's safety.

"It was his choice" she quietly said to herself. "Clearly he wants nothing to do with you. There's no reason to hold him back."

Although she resented being so emotionally attached to what was ultimately supposed to be a dinner, she couldn't shake the worry out of her mind as she tried to rest once more. Her mind was racing about how the Lucario she encountered was so kind and so friendly and so handsome.

Deep down inside of her, a small voice whispered that he would be a perfect mate. After all, he did say he didn't have one yet and as the winter was approaching the need for a mate escalated quickly. A pair of Pokémon had far better odds of surviving the harsh Unova winters than one on their own. Her thoughts continued to trail on, leading her to picture the two as a couple, bearing a little Zorua or Riolu of their very own. The very thought forced her to snap out of her fantasy as she began to blush, overwhelmed with such sudden and uncontrollable emotions.

While June remained slumped in the cave trying to control her fiery emotions, Luke slowly trudged through the thick vegetation of the forest to find a place where he could sit down and wash. Despite being attacked a mere day ago, it felt like ages since he was on his own and able to take care of himself. As he progressed further into the forest, his broken leg began to scream of pain as it's constant use began to take its toll on the still fragile injury. He couldn't have been walking for more than fifteen minutes before he finally stumbled across a small creek he could bathe himself in. Exhausted, Luke sat himself down on a sturdy rock alongside the stream's bank and cupped his hands together, bringing the cool clear water to his mouth. The water was refreshing and soon after drinking he began splashing the cool water over his sweat-drenched fur.

Back in the cave, June's mind was still racing over the Lucario as he set out to find a place to groom. She was filled with guilt for having not stopped him from going out with such a severe injury, and felt obligated to make sure he was doing alright. Despite knowing him for only a short while, June would have been crushed if anything happened to him. She thought of him as such a sweet and innocent Pokémon, but with a broken leg he would have no chance of defending himself should another predator attack. Crawling on all fours, June followed a faint trail of his distinct scent as she made her way out of the cave to find where Luke wandered off to.

As Luke finished washing up, he felt refueled with energy and decided to set out to find berries to bring back to June, as a token of his gratitude for her hospitality. He continued deeper into the forest, his eyes peeled for a berry tree from which he could harvest. It was getting to be late in the autumnal season, and berries were increasingly rare as burrowing Pokémon began hoarding scores of the fruits, but undeterred Luke kept carefully navigating the forest's jagged landscape. He continued carefully, hanging onto tree trunks for support to alleviate much of the pressure that he placed on his broken leg. Before long, he spotted a small tree dotted with luscious pink berries in a nearby valley. Careful to maintain his balance primarily on his stronger leg, he began slowly descending the hill before hearing a sudden ruffle in the trees above him. Paranoid from the attack a day prior, he flinched from the unexpected noise, his leg collapsing as he began tumbling down the hill. As he rolled out of control, his damp fur began collecting tons of dirt and leaves as he progressed toward the valley below, before finally coming to a halt as he sprawled on his back at the base of the hill.

As he laid there, he tried to focus on anything but the pain that came radiating from his tender leg after falling down. He squinted, trying to control the pain that ruminated within him, but the pain was unbearable as he let out a muffled scream, trying not to bring attention to himself. Unable to bear the excruciating feelings that rocketed through his body, Luke couldn't do much else to handle the pain; fainting as he did what little he could to calm down the violent impulses emanating from his leg.

Luke didn't know how long he was passed out in the valley, but the sound of crunching leaves from a distance woke him from his sleep. Unable to move himself to get a better view of what caused the sound, Luke did his best to tap into the surrounding aura and latch onto whatever Pokémon was nearby. Since the Lucario was so badly injured, he couldn't pinpoint exactly who was nearby, but from the aura waves he detected he could tell it was a Zoroark.

 _Maybe that's June_ he thought, and soon after with all the energy he had left in him he weakly whispered out her name, hoping by some miracle the nearby Zoroark was June and that she would come to his rescue.

After whispering out her name, the Zoroark that lurked in the distance froze, its ears perking up as it heard the faint struggles of a nearby Pokémon. Instantly, it turned toward the valley where Luke lay, as it hunted out the source of the sound. As it perched on the edge of a rock that overlooked the valley, it spotted the Lucario sprawled out at the foot of the hill, his chest pointing to the sky above. Out of the corner of his eye, Luke noticed the Zoroark, perched above as its eyes locked in on him. He slowly turned his head to get a better view of the mysterious character, although he couldn't identify if the shadowy figure was June or not. Desperate for help in his weakened state, Luke whispered out June's name again, hoping for the unidentified Pokémon to be June, before once again fainting; his head turning to the side as it slammed into the dirt below.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Pokémon Center

It was indeed June who was perched at the top of the hill overlooking the valley where Luke was sprawled out; frozen in fear of losing another Pokémon she thought of herself as close with. As Luke's head hit the soil beneath him, she became enraged, blaming herself for what she believed to be Luke's death. She instantly bolted down the hill to where Luke was and scooped him up in her arms, as he softly mumbled in his unconsciousness. She looked down at the Lucario that lay in her arms; bruised and battered, his fur caked with dirt and leaves. If Luke died, it was going to be her fault. She's the one that crippled him in her spontaneous fit of aggression; hindering his ability to protect himself as he wandered into the woods. Well aware that she lacked the ability to effectively care for the injuries that Luke sustained, she rushed to the closest Pokémon Center she could find; Luke clutched tightly in her arms.

* * *

-FLASHBACK-

"June! JUNEEE!" Jeete screamed as she was snatched away by some hungry Zoroark speeding by. Instantly June turned her attention toward the grove where Jeete stood moments ago, to see a blurry figure careening through with Jeete clenched tightly in his jaw. She instinctively sprinted as fast as she her little Zorua paws could carry her, trying to catch up to her friend being whisked away. As the Zoroark fled, Jette hopelessly stared back toward June as she ran as fast as she could trying to save her friend. Focused on her friend ahead, she was oblivious to the many hazards that riddled the Zoroark's freshly-blazed trail, tripping after her paws caught a tree root protruding through the ground.

As soon as she lifted her head out of the soil, she called out for her friend, who disappeared from view as the Zoroark escaped view. "Jette! Where are you!" June hopelessly called out. It would be a miracle in itself for June to just figure out where the Jette was taken off to, let alone save her. "Jette!" she called out again, this time holding back tears that began to collect in her eyes. "Jette where did you go?" Her voice trailed off as she quickly lost hope of pinpointing where her friend was taken to.

* * *

June knew she couldn't bear endure such a traumatic experience again. Tears began streaming down her face as she dashed through the forest, desperate to get Luke the care he deserved. She owed it to him.

As she ran, the Lucario in her arms slowly began to move, his eyes half-open and his paw coming up to June's face. June slowed down as the two locked eyes, Luke taking his paw to try June's tears.

"It's okay" he whispered, trying to comfort the visibly distraught Zoroark that carried him.

His weak attempt to console June only made her more upset, remorseful she could have caused so much pain for such a kind and compassionate Pokémon. "Please no" she cried, bringing her head closer to Luke's chest. Her tears flowed down her face, dripping on to Luke's dirt-caked torso. "It's not your fault" Luke assured her, his voice progressively becoming weaker and weaker as he began to succumb to his injuries once again.

As Luke once again fell into a state of unconsciousness, she took off, determined to save Luke's life as he clung on to survival. As she arrived at the Pokémon Center, she bursted through the door with Luke clenched tightly, frantic to get him the proper care he needed. Seeing the battered state of Luke as well as the desperate expression on June's face, nurses began to swarm around, quickly bringing a stretcher over and resting Luke on top of it.

As Luke awoke, he was alone, surrounded by medical equipment of all sorts. His fractured leg was suspended by a sling suspended from above the bed, with a brace engulfing his leg from his waist down. Groggy from a poor night's rest, Luke pressed a button besides his bed to call over a nurse to answer the many questions that he had racing his mind. Shortly after, a Wigglytuff hobbled over wearing a white nurses cap.

"It seems like you took quite the tumble didn't ya" she asked, glad to see that her patient had finally awoken. "By the way, someone's been waiting for you. Is it alright if they came in?"

Luke nodded his head in affirmation, aware the only Pokémon that would be aware of his injury would be June since after all she brought him to the Center. The Wigglytuff glanced out the doorway and nodded her head. Immediately, two sets of red claws gripped the edge of the door frame as June's face slowly emerged from the side, peering into the room. She then briskly entered, waving a paw in welcome as she sat down in a chair opposite his bed.

"How are you doing Luke?" she asked, her voice soft and full of concern. "You were in really bad shape when I brought you here."

June then got up from her chair, tears forming in her eyes, and walked over to beside Luke's bed.

"I'm so sorry" she whimpered as tears began streaming down her face. "I didn't want this to ever happen to someone that's so kind and handsome like you". As she said this, Luke's face began to blush, but June didn't see as she held her head down in shame in reflection to the hurt she caused the Lucario. She continued to weep as she carried on, the Wigglytuff doing her best to soothe the remorseful Zoroark. "It's okay if you want me to leave and never see you again. I completely understand. I wouldn't want to be around me. Not if someone caused this much pain for me."

Luke tried to readjust himself in the bed so as to give June a much-needed hug, but before moving into position the nurse put a hand to his chest and urged him to remain in the position he was in.

"June…" he began, as she slowly turned her head upward to face Luke. "Don't be sorry. You've done so much for me. You acted out of your instinct, and that's out of your control. There's no reason to be upset over me". June was still holding her breath, as Luke's statement still didn't address whether or not he wanted her company. "And you're welcome to stay with me as long as you'd like"

A warm smile spread both across Luke and June's faces, with June wrapping her arms around Luke's neck to simulate a hug in his idle position. As she began to speak, she threw her face into Luke's chest and started to cry.

"Oh, thank you Luke I'm so sorry I've been such an awful person" she cried out, her voice muffled by Luke's cream-colored fur. Luke did his best to wrap his arms around her to give even the faintest hint of a warm embrace. "I love you Luke" he heard her say, her words quickly being drowned out by more sobs as she rested her head against him.

As Luke laid there with June resting across his body, he felt something unlike he ever felt before. A warm, tingling sensation began to pulse through his body as his heart began to beat harder and harder. A million thoughts began racing through his head, but none stood out more than the sense of warmth and comfort June brought him. Bringing his head closer to hers, he whispered "I love you too".

The two nuzzled together for a few moments before another nurse burst through the door calling for the Wigglytuff attending Luke.

"I'm sorry you two, but there's an emergency and you'll have to leave" the nurse said, her head pointing toward June as she stood herself up. For a moment, the two lovers stood there holding paws, before saying their good-byes and slowly June turned and made her way out the door, glancing over her shoulder at Luke for one last time before the door closed behind her.

June wandered out of the Pokémon Center and into the city; her mind stuck on Luke's reply to her love confession.

 _Surely I'm mistaken. It must be the medicine or something because there's no reason he should like me, let alone love me_ she thought to herself. _After all, I did try and kill him_. June's mind raced on about the two's mutual feelings for each other, making her own heart pound as she thought about the two being mates. By now, the sun had nearly disappeared over the horizon and June decided it was time she went out and found something to eat. There were an endless supply of restaurants and taverns to grab a meal at, but June settled for a small French café not too far from the Pokémon Center where Luke was staying. As she sat down, she wondered about the future between the two, and what life would look like as mates.

 _We could be so happy together_ June thought to herself, imagining days filled with little Zorua and Riolu pups. The pair could live together in the cave, thriving until mating season comes around where June would become fertile to bear her first egg. She could imagine taking Luke to the very same cute café she found in the city, with him feeding her exotic croissants and crumpets as he laughed in that cute way only Luke could.

Jittery with excitement her daydream suddenly came to a screeching halt when more intrusive thoughts began barraging her otherwise perfect fantasy

 _What if he doesn't like me in that way_ she thought. _He said he loved me, but maybe like as a friend… or a family member… What if he doesn't want to mate?_

Without any way of getting the answers to these urgent questions June became overwhelmed with anxiety, waiting for the next day where she could visit Luke again and perhaps receive more answers to her burning questions. _Arceus please let him be okay, and please please pleeease have him love me the same way I do him_ she prayed silently in her head as she wandered through the dimly lit streets of the city. As she finished her walk, she found a small park beside the Pokémon Center, where she curled up beside a tree in the same position she slept in the cave. She wanted to be able to see Luke at the very first second possible, and quickly dozed off dreaming of the potential she and Luke had as a pair.

* * *

As June awoke, she was greeted to the sun shining brightly over the city in a brilliant orange display. She didn't know exactly how early the Pokémon Center would open up, but nonetheless she began jogging toward it with the hopes of being able to visit Luke early on in the morning. As she burst into the center, a receptionist directed her to the guest waiting room, where she could wait to see Luke. Minutes felt like hours and as she waited out of boredom, June mindlessly made small illusions in the room to entertain herself as she waited for an escort to Luke's room.

While she waited, she began to worry more and more as it felt like she would never be taken to Luke's room. _What if he had been released the night prior and fled back into the forest so he wouldn't ever have to see her again?_ she thought. _Maybe he made up the whole 'I love you thing'._ Fed up with waiting for a nurse to come and escort her to Luke's room, a more dubious plan came across her mind. All of the center's nurses were fairy-type Pokémon with felt nurses' caps; an easy appearance for even the most basic of Zorua to take on. She didn't see what was stopping her from altering her appearance and simply admitting herself to the patients' ward.

Her heart was racing, as she assumed the appearance of the Wigglytuff nurse from the night before. Once she reached Luke's room, she gingerly knocked on the door, to which a groggy voice replied "Yeah, come on in."

As she opened the door, she saw Luke laying in his bed in the same idle position he was in when she saw him last.

"How's it going?" he asked a disguised June as she entered the room, the door closing behind her. Being the illusionary Pokémon she was, June thought it would be amusing to play around with Luke before revealing her true identity.

"Fine, thanks" she replied in a serious tone, preparing the fine-details of her prank in her head. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, Luke" she said, doing her best to maintain a straight face.

"Oh no," Luke replied. "and what would that be?"

"Well, that Zoroark that came to visit you last night… well, she ran off and wanted us to let you know she wouldn't be coming back because she felt so guilty about injuring you so much. She also wanted to let you know that she loved you, but couldn't bear to live with the guilt that she put you through so much…" she trailed on, doing her best to keep a somber tone in her voice. Once June completed her spiel, Luke responded in a way she never expected to see: he chuckled. Immediately, June's heart plummeted as she took this as a sign that her fantasies of being a pair was just that: a fantasy, until Luke followed up on his laugh.

"Arceus, that's funny… Especially considering that she's right in front of me."

June's jaw dropped, as her Wigglytuff appearance faded away to reveal her true self.

"B-but how did you know?" she stammered, shocked by Luke's incredible response.

"It's those eyes." he answered. "You've got those gorgeous, unforgettable eyes" he replied in a lovestruck tone. He chuckled a bit more and in a lighter tone replied "Plus, you can change your appearance, but you can't hide your aura. No nurse would've been that excited to see me." He let out another chuckle as June approached the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck the same way she did the night prior. Luke responded by wrapping his arms around June as best as he could without compromising his comfortable position he was advised not to break.

"I love you so much" Luke whispered softly as his heart began to flutter from June's intimate contact

"Me too" she replied, her eyes shut tight as she dreamed of the life the two could have together. "I love you too."

 **Aww isn't that just charming**

 **Well, we got more coming on up next, so stay tuned as we hear more from Luke and June!**

 **Also, just as a quick side note, I want to apologize for the beginning of the chapter being a bit weaker than I hoped. When I ended the last chapter, I didn't leave myself in the best place to pick up from, and I wasn't sure how to begin this one. I promise, we'll be getting into more 'M' rated stuff soon, so that rating's no mistake. Anyways, feel free to let me know what y'all thought of the story so far and feel free to let me know if you guys have any ideas you'd like to see implamented into the story :)**

 **~Zork**


	5. Chapter 5 - The Cave

**Okay so HEADS UP… Up to this point it's been a pretty chill fanfic, but now this chapter is where it's gonna get all rated 'M', so just keep that in mind going forward :)**

 **Also, I'm curious to see what y'all would like to see happen between June and Luke! I'd love it if you let me know down below!**

 **Anyways, enjoy!**

 **(and you've been warned)**

 **~Zork**

Luke spent the next few days in the Pokémon Center, with June coming in to visit whenever she could, periodically bringing him gifts to lighten the mood. The two spent every moment they could together while Luke was recovering, and when they weren't together they were talking with each other over the phone, and when they weren't talking they most certainly were dreaming about each other. The days seemed to stretch on as Luke laid dormant in his bed while the Pokémon Center nurses treated the multitude of injuries he sustained within the last few days. At last, the center released Luke, with a temporary cast surrounding his leg as it completed to heal. As Luke walked out of the patients' ward, he was immediately greeted to a warm embrace from June as she was well relived to see her boyfriend fully recover.

"I missed you so much at night, when I'd be all alone in the clinic" Luke said softly, his voice being muffled as he pressed his face into June's shoulder

"Me too" she replied plainly, patting Luke's back as the two rocked back and forward locked in a hug. "I wish I could've bene there for you"

When the two separated, they stared at each other in the eyes, their paws now holding lightly in between them as they closely examined each other.

"Well, what do you want to do now?" Luke asked, unsure if June had any plans in mind.

"Hmm. I haven't had anything to eat yet… Why don't I take you down to this cute little café I found," she replied, a cheery tone in her voice as she was excited for a most romantic afternoon.

"Sounds good to me" Luke replied, glad to finally eat something other than hospital food for a change. "The food they served here was total garbage and I'm looking forward to something yummy" he replied in an excited tone, as he began to dream of the various servings at the café.

The two enjoyed a lovely and romantic afternoon before ultimately returning to June's cave, giddy with love. Upon their arrival, they sat down next to each other, June holding her head snug against Luke's shoulder. As the two sat there, Luke let out a faint yawn as the sun had already descend behind the tall trees surrounding them in the forest. For several minutes, the two just sat there cuddling, their hearts racing as they became overwhelmed with joy and glee.

The two were euphoric; in absolute bliss, until more troublesome thoughts began to weigh on her, shattering her sense of peace. She was angry at herself for attacking this kind, loving soul and struggled to justify her actions in even the slightest sense.

"Luke?" she said softly, her voice filled with an anxious tone.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning his head slightly to face June. "Is something wrong, sweetie?"

There was a brief moment of silence as June quickly collected her thoughts, immediately regretting her decision to bring up the subject.

"Well…" her voice trailed off with reluctancy, as she struggled to build up the courage to let Luke know how she truly felt. "it's just… I still can't get over how stupid I was… You know… Attacking you and all…" Her voice was somber and remorseful

"June," he said calmingly in an attempt to perk up the mellowed Zoroark. "Forget about that… That was then but we're together now. I love you so much, and nothing can change that."

As he said this, she turned her head to him with tears forming in her eye. She felt unworthy of the care and affection she was receiving from Luke, and this made her feel even more depressed for even having the thought of touching such a compassionate Pokémon.

"But…"

That's all she could get out before Luke leaned in for a kiss, catching her by surprise as he pulled her closer. She soon did the same, wrapping her arms around Luke's torso and giving into the explosive sensation the two felt through their kiss. After a blissful few moments, the two parted and looked at each other in the eyes, Luke holding a paw under June's chin.

"Believe me?" he asked gingerly, knowing without a doubt June would no longer worry about what she did or about not being good enough.

She responded with a slight nod, their eyes locked until June pulled herself close to Luke's chest and hugged him, with her cheek pressed against his body and a smile spreading across her face. The two remained still, stationary in their warm embrace until June slowly pushed Luke away from the wall and onto his back as she lifted herself up onto her knees, holding herself above her mate.

"You want to do this?" Luke asked, a strong passion surmounted in his voice as he smiled at June above him.

"With no one else," she replied, a smirk appearing on her face as she lowered her waist over Luke's hip. She wiggled her ass over Luke's penis region, with his red member slowly arising out of its fur-coated pocket.

"Mmm I can feel it already" she said seductively, as Luke lightly thrusted his hip upwards, pressing his growing cock against June's butt.

"You sure seem like you know what you're doing" Luke joked, as he brought his paws up to June's side.

"Thanks" she grunted, focusing her energy into pleasing her mate. "You're actually my first"

"Oh well same" he chuckled. By now, Luke had fully hardened and was ready to insert his throbbing member into June's virgin ass. She sensed he was ready, and adjusted herself so he could slide in. She had heard about what mating was like from other Zoroark she encountered throughout her years, but nothing could have prepared her for the bliss she felt as Luke entered her rear. At first Luke's penetrating cock sent a feeling of shock through her, resulting in a small yelp as it spread her hole wide.

"Are you okay?" Luke instantly responded, immediately withdrawing himself out of fear of hurting June.

"No no no put it back in and keep going" she commanded, her eyes closing as she embraced for Luke's solid penis to enter inside of her once again. As June's ass hovered above his cock, Luke slowly raised his hips, bringing the tip of his cock just inside of June's tight ass. As he did, she threw her head back and moaned loudly, as he continued to slide himself further and further into her. He did this until he became worried he might hurt her and slowly began sliding outward, the sudden change of direction sending a tingle down his spine.

"F-fuck this feels good" Luke moaned, enjoying every second of his first sexual experience.

"Ooh it does" she replied, her voice full of love and lust. As Luke's instincts drove him to focus on the pleasurable feeling that this intimate encounter sent through him, June's lead for her to focus on the unbreakable bond she felt between herself and Luke, as the two joined together as one. Exhilarated by the short prelude, she lifted her hips from Luke's sliding his fully erect cock out of her. Luke wanted to ask why she stopped, but instead decided to question if she was alright, rather than what caused the abrupt end to their interaction.

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" he asked, lifting his head from against the cave floor to see what was wrong.

"We can do better than this" she said devilishly as she laid her back down on the ground, exposing her vagina to Luke as he assumed position on top of her.

"You're sure you want to do this, right?" Luke questioned, well aware it was right around the time of year when most Zoroark would be breeding and that the couple's actions very well could result in an egg.

"There's no one I'd rather do it with" she said softly, pulling Luke's face to hers for a kiss. Meanwhile, Luke entered June's engorged pussy gingerly at first, but gradually with more and more rigor as he slid his throbbing cock inside and out.

"Mm… Fuck" she moaned as June's arms fell limply to her side, completely succumbing to the control and dominance Luke had over her. As the speed of Luke's thrusts grew, his own hands wandered to her chest, reaching beneath the darker layer of fur that laid over her chest and began fondling her breasts, which jostled each time Luke pushed into her.

"Oh fuck baby you're so perfect" Luke moaned, as he grew ever closer to his climax, with June moaning in pleasure underneath him. The two continued until June's moans progressively grew into a scream, where Luke threw his head back with his cock pulsing as he unloaded his warm seed into June's womb.

The two momentarily remained frozen; suspended in time as their climax wore away, and all that remained were two, knotted Pokémon deeply breathing after a fiery love session.

 **Alright so I'm gonna leave it there. Fret not, the story's not over! There's more to come! Like I mentioned at the beginning, please let me know where you guys want the story to go I'd love to have some feedback on what you guys think so far**

 **Anyways, thanks for making it this far, and I look forward to hearing what you guys have to say… Stay tuned for the next chapter!**

 **~Zork**


End file.
